NCJ Number
160348
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A 1993 survey of a national sample of 1,721 youths ages 14-25 and a booster sample of 808 minority youths formed the basis of an estimate of the nature and extent of self- reported offending among these youth in England and Wales.
Abstract
The research also focused on why some youths start to commit offenses and why some stop offending while others do not. Results revealed widespread involvement in offending and drug use. Half of the males and one-third of the females admitted committing offenses; the same numbers admitted using drugs at some time. However, most offending is infrequent and minor, and most drug use is confined to using marijuana. Approximately 3 percent of offenders are responsible for about one-fourth of all offenses. The peak age of self-reported offending is 21 for males and 16 for females. Females aged 14-17 are nearly as likely as males to be involved in offending, but as they become older, their offending drops off sharply in comparison with males. The strongest influences on starting to offend are low parental supervision, persistent truancy, and associating with others involved in offending; these factors are all strongly related to the quality of relationships with parents. Figures and table